Watney, Choi will play with Tiger in threesome
The U.S. Open likes to have fun by formulating creative groupings of players with like accomplishments, nationalities, even rhyming last names. But the AT&T National is largely playing it straight this year.
In the first two rounds, Tiger Woods will play with 2011 AT&T National champion Nick Watney and 2007 champ K.J. Choi. Woods, who won the 2009 AT&T National, is the only other former champion of the event in the field with Justin Rose (2010) and Anthony Kim (2008) off. As is his usual preference, Woods will tee off Thursday afternoon (12:50 p.m.) followed by an early start on Friday (7:50 a.m.).
Following up the Woods threesome is another strong grouping — Jason Day, Jim Furyk and long-hitting Robert Garrigus.
A big-name threesome playing opposite of Woods (early Thursday/late Friday) is made up of Dustin Johnson, Hunter Mahan and Davis Love III. They will be followed off the same tee by another strong threesome, which includes Marc Leishman, winner Sunday of the Travelers Championship, and former Booz Allen Classic winners Adam Scott (2004) and Ben Curtis (2006).
There was some speculation that the tournament would pair up youngsters Patrick Cantlay, 20, Jordan Spieth, 18, and Beau Hossler, 17. But all will play in separate threesomes. Both Spieth and Cantlay tee off Thursday at 1:52 p.m. on opposite nines in the final threesomes of the day. Spieth plays with Brian Harman and Bobby Gates. Cantlay is grouped with Notah Begay III and K.T. Kim. Hossler tees off Thursday morning at 8:52 a.m. then will be the last to tee off on Friday, playing at 1:52 p.m. with Billy Hurley III and Kyle Reifers.
Local favorite Steve Marino, a native of Fairfax, will tee of Thursday at 7:12 a.m. He is paired up with John Merrick and J.J. Killeen.
